Logos

Logo Design

What is a logo?

Think about companies that you come in contact with in your everyday life, signs that you pass on your commute to work. Are there images that stand out in your mind? Most likely, companies with recognizable icons, such as McDonald’s “Golden Arches,” Target’s “Bullseye,” and Nike’s “Swoosh,” conjure up emotions regarding the business, without the name itself even being said.

In this way, logos are essentially the face of the company. Often, logos are the most recognized part of a company’s brand, and they have the potential to make or break a business, depending on the message they portray.

Types of logos

There are lots of different choices when it comes to designing a logo for your company. Before even deciding on specifics, like what colors and typography to use, you have to choose what type of logo you want for your business. There are a few different types of logos, but the basic categories include icon (or symbol), lettermark, wordmark, and combination.

Icon (or symbol) logos entail an image representative of the company, either literally or abstract. These have the potential to be the most memorable logos, because images are usually retained better than words. Icon (or symbol) logos are most effective when the brand is already established and well-known, but is not limited to that. They are also a good choice if the company name is lengthy and cannot be abbreviated efficiently. Lastly, this type of logo is especially useful if the brand is international, as icons do not rely on knowledge of any particular language.

Wordmark logos are designed with the entire name of the company. Essentially, they are the name stylized to portray the feel of the company by use of typography (which will be addressed later). Wordmark logos are most effective when the company name is simple and memorable. Similarly, lettermark logos apply creative typography to the company’s initials or an abbreviation of the full name. Lettermark logos are most effective when the name is too long, but has catchy or memorable initials, or can be abbreviated. Lastly, just like the name suggests, combination logos take any or all of these types and combine them.

Aspects Of A Logo

Typography

When using lettermark or wordmark, typography is key. In general, there are three different types of fonts: serif, sans serif, and script. Serif fonts have little “tails” at the ends of the letters, which increases readability in large bodies of text, but as a logo, it expresses a traditional, comforting, classic feel. These fonts are effective for businesses such as law firms, that want to come across as trustworthy, stable, and well-established. Sans serif fonts lack the “tails” that serif fonts have. This creates a much more modern, clean, and progressive look that may be ideal for tech companies, or other businesses who wish to evoke feelings of trendiness and forward-thinking. Script (or cursive) font is not used as often in logos because of the difficulty to remain legible in various sizes, but when it is used, it usually portrays elegance, creativity, and sophistication.

Color

Choosing correct colors for a logo is essential. Depending on what colors you choose, your consumers have various emotional responses. It’s important to understand which colors evoke which emotions, and to pick ones that cause desirable reactions towards your company. Be sure to not only pick colors that flow, but also ones that represent your company culture.

Red = passion, boldness

Orange = friendly, cheerful

Yellow = optimistic, confident

Green = nurturing, fresh

Blue = trustworthy, calm

Purple = creative, imaginative

Black = sophisticated, classic

Raster vs. Vector

In design, there are generally two different image types. Raster images are pixel-dependent artwork, that, when zoomed in, pixels become evident, and the image turns into series of colors squares. If you zoom in too far on a raster image, it is no longer recognizable. Vector images are point and line dependent artwork, where the art is actually created by a series of points and lines, and is registered as a mathematical equation in the design program. When zoomed in, the equation refigures, and the image appears just as clear as zoomed out. This is important especially for logos, because they will need to be crisp, clear, and recognizable across multiple platforms, in a variety of sizes.

Other

Other aspects to pay attention to in logo design include symmetry, flow, movement, direction, alignment, and negative space. Symmetrical logos increase feelings of stability and fairness. Consider flow, movement, and direction in your logo, especially if you want to portray that your company is forward-thinking, progressive, and growing. Alignment can determine where the eyes fall first on a logo, so be sure that aspects of the logo are placed in a logo manner. Lastly, negative space holds just as much power in a logo as colored spaced. Negative space attributes to keeping logos clean and simple, and can even present imagery within them as well.

How does a good logo benefit your business?

Having a good, effective logo increases your business’s chances for success. Without a recognizable, memorable logo, consumers are not likely to spend a lot of time thinking about your company. On the contrary, if your logo design is creative, and true to your business, brand loyalty can begin to grow in your customers, word will spread, and your business will prosper.

In order to create an accurate logo that represents the company, your designer should have a good understanding of who your business is, what the purpose is, what the mission statement is, and also what the brand personality and culture is. Logos should not only be eye-catching and memorable, they should give viewers a sense of what to expect from the company.

Can We Help?

At BattleAxe Designs, we pride ourselves on getting to know the ins and outs of your company, so that we can create a logo that is custom to your brand. If you are interested in seeing what we can come up with for you, contact us today!